


Massachusetts Bomb

by simpleEnthusiast



Series: Chronicles of the Wasteland [1]
Category: Fallout (Video Games), Fallout 4
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-07
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-07-12 22:31:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,249
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7125061
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/simpleEnthusiast/pseuds/simpleEnthusiast
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is the story of my Sole Survivor, Aubrey Wilson, and her adventures through the Commonwealth.  Starts from the beginning and will end at the end, when all I'm doing is radiant quests.<br/>This is gonna be one hell of a story, and it's going to be long, so buckle up.  </p>
<p>Additional content, character, and relationship tags will be added as they become appropriate.</p>
<p>(also gonna throw in that there will be a romanced Nick Valentine so............)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi. Thank you for choosing this story.  
> As you read this story, not everything will agree with canon, (i'm romancing the toaster for one), and you'll probably be able to tell which mods I use in my game. If you have questions about what mods I use for my games I'll be happy to post links.
> 
>  
> 
> My main point of contact is my  Tumblr , so please ask questions or leave suggestions there or in the comments section.  
> Thank you and enjoy reading!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT - 05 APRIL 2018: Fixing some continuity errors since I've updated and revised Aubrey's backstory. No major plot points have been changed.

 

 

_October 23, 2077_

 

Aubrey hummed quietly along to the radio as she listened to Nate rehearse his speech in the mirror as he washed up for the morning.  She could hear Codsworth bustling about in the kitchen and Shaun was babbling like only babies do in the next room.  She let a smile cross her face as she joined Nate in the bathroom just as he finished the speech.  "You're gonna knock 'em dead at the Veteran's Hall tonight, hun."

“You think?"  Nate glanced back at her and smiled before returning his gaze to the mirror.

"Definitely." She suppressed a giggle as Nate attempted to tame his mop of hair into something resembling professional, failing miserably, then giving up and letting it flop back down on his forehead.  Shaking her head a little, she tapped him on the shoulder.  "Hey, my turn, big guy."

Nate smiled and obediently stepped out of her way, watching with barely suppressed awe as she quickly transformed from a 'I just woke up and need 10 tons of coffee" look into "I'm a lawyer and I will screw up your day to no end if you cross me" with a few brushes of eyeliner and some ruby lipstick.  Just as she was about to pull her hair into a ponytail, Nate took her wrists.  "Hey…leave it down.  It suits you…" 

Aubrey arched an eyebrow, but slowly lowered her hands, leaving the hair tie on her wrist.  "Fine…" She sighed playfully.  "But just this once.  Don't get used to it."

Nate chuckled and Aubrey stepped away from the mirror, kissing his cheek.  "I'll be in the kitchen."  She said, stepping out of the bathroom and walking, peeking briefly into Shaun's room, then heading down the short hallway. 

"Ah, good morning Mum!  Your coffee, 183 degrees Fahrenheit, brewed to perfection!  And today's newspaper, just delivered." 

Aubrey smiled.  "Good morning, Codsworth."  She accepted the cup of coffee and took a sip, smiling happily.  She glanced at the newspaper and frowned.  "More of the same." She muttered, moving to the couch and sitting down, only half-listening to the news reports on the TV.

Just as she sat down, a shrill cry sounded from the back of the house.  "Ah, it seems someone's made a stinky.  I shall attend to young Shaun."  Codsworth stated, floating down the hallway. 

"I know we were nervous at first, but I'm glad we got Codsworth," Nate said as he appeared behind her, rubbing her shoulders. 

Aubrey smiled up at her husband as he came around the couch and joined her properly.  She was just about to snuggle into him when the doorbell rang.  Nate sighed.  "It's that salesman again.  I don't know why he keeps bothering you."

  
Aubrey gave her own sigh as she stood up, going to the door and opening it. 

"Good morning!  Vault-Tec calling."  A man in a trench coat and fedora stood there, complete with the cheesy smile and clipboard.

Aubrey forced her own smile.  "Good morning."

"Isn't it?  Just look at the sky…"  The man cleared his throat.  "You don't know how happy I am to finally speak with you.  I've been trying for days.  It's a matter of utmost urgency."

Aubrey suppressed the urge to roll her eyes.  "I'm here now."

"So you are…so you are.  Now I know you're a busy woman, so I won't take up too much of your time.  I’m here to tell you that, because of your family's service to our country, you have been pre-selected for entrance into the local Vault.  Vault 111."  He held up his hands and spread them out as if showcasing a sign. 

"Uh, sounds…great."  She glanced back at her husband, who was engrossed in the sports report on the TV and suppressed another sigh. "Wait." She cut off the salesman, as he was about to say something.  "I have a family. You have room for all of us, right?"  
"Of course!  Minus your robot, naturally." The representative cleared his throat again.  "Now, you've already been cleared for entrance, it's just a matter of verifying some information.  Don't want there to be any problems in the event of….ahem….total nuclear annihilation."  He gave a nervous chuckle and held out the clipboard.

"The apocalypse?  Well, hell, sign me up."  Aubrey deadpanned and took the clipboard, filling in names, dates of birth, and the results of the S.P.E.C.I.A.L. test she and Nate had been required to take, him for the Army, and her for the Navy.  It took her all of a few minutes to complete the forms. "Here you go." She said.

"Wonderful, wonderful.  I'll just…walk this over to the Vault…Congratulations on being prepared for the future!"  He called as he walked off.

"Uh...thanks again?"  She called back, shutting the door. 

"Hey, it's peace of mind." Nate said as she once again sat on the couch next to him.

"For you and Shaun, no price is too high."  She murmured.

"Mhm.  Good answer. That's why I married you; you're so smart."

Aubrey snorted.  "I have my moments."

Another cry from Shaun had both parents looking back as Codsworth floated back into the great room.  "Miss Aubrey.  Shaun has been changed, but he absolutely refuses to calm down.  I think he needs some of that 'maternal affection' you seem to be so good at."

Nate chuckled as Aubrey once again stood up.  "Go on honey, I'll be there in a few minutes to help." 

She nodded and went to her son's room, peering over the side of the crib and reaching down to tickle the baby boy's stomach.  "Hey cutie.  You giving Codsworth trouble, huh?"

Shaun only giggled in response.

"There's my boy, on his best behavior, just like his dad." Nate smiled, closing the door behind him and joining his wife.  "Well…most of the time anyway.  Hey I fixed that mobile on his crib the other day, give it a spin."

Aubrey chuckled and gently spun the mobile, grinning as Shaun babbled and cooed at it.

"Hey listen, I was thinking maybe we could go to the park this afternoon.  Weather should hold up."

Aubrey arched an eyebrow and leaned against the wall, crossing her arms in mock indignation.  "Right, the park.  With you.  Because I want to get pregnant…AGAIN."

Nate smiled and grabbed her around the waist, getting ready to pull her into a kiss, when Codsworth suddenly called from the living room.  "Sir! Mum!  You should come and see this!"

Nate pulled away and looked at the door.  "Codsworth? What's wrong?"

"I'll go check." Aubrey said, opening the door and walking quickly out to the living room where the robo-butler hovered by the television.  Aubrey's eyes widened as she listened to the broadcast.

_"We've received word of bright flashes…explosions…"_

"Wait, what?  What did he say?"  Nate came out and stood beside her, Shaun in his arms.

_"We're trying to get c-confirmation from our sister stations…That….We have confirmed reports of n-nuclear detonations in New York and Pennsylvania…My God…."_   

The screen went dark and sirens sounded from outside.

"My God…" Nate whispered, still staring in shock at the TV.

Aubrey pushed herself to action.  "We need to get to the Vault!  NOW!" 

Nate nodded, reality returning to him.  "I've got Shaun!  Let's go!"  He bolted for the door, throwing it open.

"Codsworth,” Aubrey turned to him, biting her lip.  "Stay safe, honey."

"And your family as well, Mum. Oh, my….."

Aubrey nodded and ran, tapping Nate on the shoulder as they sprinted down the street and over the little footbridge, passing neighbors and children too preoccupied with baggage to recognize that time was not on their side. As they neared the gate at the top of the hill that contained the Vault, Aubrey paled.  Soldiers in Power Armor, holding _miniguns_ of all things, were stopping people from getting in. 

"That's absurd!  I AM Vault-Tec!"  The representative from earlier pleaded with the guard.

"You're not on the list.  You don't get in!"

"I'm going in there, you can't stop me!"  Two soldiers spun up their miniguns and Aubrey almost stepped in front of him, but the man had already fled, screaming that he'd 'report this'.  Aubrey couldn't help but wonder to whom, even as she stepped up.

"We need to get in!  We're on the list."  She spoke firmly, schooling her features into the mask she normally saved for the court room.

"Infant, adult male, adult female.  Okay, go ahead." The guard spoke as he stepped aside.

"Thank you!"  Nate shouted as they jogged through the gate, Aubrey trying not to vomit as people screamed behind her. 

"YOU TWO, FOLLOW ME!"  A man in a blue Vault suit beckoned them and jogged off.  Aubrey and Nate followed as fast as they could.  She could hear Shaun half-crying and bit her lip.

"What about all those people back there?!" Nate shouted.

"We're doing everything we can, now keep moving!"  Somehow Aubrey didn't think that was true.

They sprinted to the Vault entrance.  A gigantic platform with the number 111 emblazoned on it in bright yellow lettering.  "Step on the platform, in the center! GO!"

Nate reached it first, and Aubrey gripped his free arm as she joined him.  "We made it!  Is Shaun okay?"

"He's fine.… I love you!"

  
**_THUD-OOM._**

****

A monstrous sound, like a thousand thunderclaps all at once came from the south. 

Aubrey shielded her eyes but caught a glimpse of the cloud.  A mushroom cloud.  "Oh God!  Hold on!"  She screamed along with the others on the platform.

Nate tucked Shaun as close as he could to his body and aimed his back to the explosion.  Aubrey closed her eyes shut, vaguely aware of the platform starting to descend, more focused on the shockwave she had seen was coming their way.  She buried her face in Nate's shoulder as the wave skimmed overtop of them, sentencing all those above ground to certain death.

The family clung to each other as the elevator continued all the way down and jolted to a stop several minutes later.

"Alright, alright, everyone, listen up.  Everything's going to be okay.  Just go up these stairs and through the door there.  Welcome to Vault 111, your new home –underground!"

Nate straightened up.  "We made it.  We're okay…"  He mumbled. 

Aubrey released the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding, knees quivering as she sucked in lungfuls of air.  With his free hand, Nate touched her shoulder, guiding her off the platform and to the stairs.  She was handed a blue suit and directed to change in a small room off to the side.  She did, on autopilot, placing the civilian clothes in the basket provided and rejoining her husband, clad in a similar suit, and son as a doctor led them to a hallway filled with strange looking pods. 

She suddenly snapped back to reality, realizing the doctor was speaking to her.  "Just step in here, and we'll be good to go soon enough."

Shaun suddenly let out a proper cry, and Nate soothed him.  "Honey, c-could you help me real fast?" He asked, rocking the boy gently.

Aubrey stepped over to him and kissed Shaun's forehead.  "Who's my little guy, huh?  It's alright, I'll just be over there…" Her voice seemed to soothe the infant as Nate rocked him.

"All set?" The doctor asked.  "Just step inside the pod, ma'am, sir."

Aubrey bit her lip, a feeling of unease settling over her as the door to the pod closed. 

Nate waved to her from inside his pod, making Shaun wave to her as well.

"These pods with depressurize and decontaminate you before we head deeper into the Vault." The doctor spoke, muffled from the heavy steel of the door.

"Time for a whole new life."  Aubrey whispered to herself as the computer started speaking to her

[Occupant Vitals: Normal.  Procedure complete in Five… Four…Three…]

Aubrey shivered as a blast of cold hit her, and her eyelids started to droop.

[Two…]

Her fingers and toes started going numb, and she fought to stay awake, but suddenly found that she couldn't move.

[One]

The last thing Aubrey remembered was her world turning white.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Had to rework my update schedule a bit due to school and work. Sorry for any confusion.

_Date Unknown._

_[Cyrogenic stasis: Suspended.]_

Aubrey forced her eyes open looked through the pod's window.  "Hello?  Someone, get me out of here!"  She shouted, sluggishly raising her arms to weakly slap the door. 

Two figures appeared in her line of sight, and she called out again.  "Hey! Let us out!"

One figure, wearing what looked like a hazmat suit, pointed at Nate's pod. "This is the one, here."  A woman's voice sounded.

Another figure walked past her and the pod.  "Open it."  He ordered, his low voice cutting through the air and grating on Aubrey's ears.

The woman did something and Nate's pod opened with a hiss and groan as the metal protested being moved.  Shaun's piercing cry and Nate's coughing filled the room and Aubrey slapped at the door again, calling for them.

"Is-Is it over?  Are we okay?"  Nate stuttered out through coughs.

"Almost."  The man said, raising a hand as if to placate him.

The woman reached for Shaun.  "Come here, baby, come here."

"N-no, no.  I got him…"  Nate pleaded, tucking the boy closer to his chest, even as the woman grabbed him.

The man raised his hand, and Aubrey could tell he was holding a gun.  "Let the boy go."  He ordered.

"NO!"  She shouted, hitting the door once again.

"I'm not giving you Shaun!"  Nate shouted.

 

 ** _BANG!_**  

 

"NO!" Aubrey shouted again, freezing as she watched Nate clutch at his chest and slump back against the seat in his pod.  The woman in the suit held Shaun, rocking him as he cried. 

"Goddammit." The man swore, motioning to the woman.  "Get the kid out of here, let's go."  He turned and walked up to Aubrey's window. He had a scar over his left eye, and Aubrey had half a mind to drive a knife through it again.  She kicked and screamed and hit the door, words that would have made even the most seasoned sailor blush spilling from her mouth.  The man watched for a few minutes before a smile that could only be described as evil spread across his face.  "At least we still have the backup."  He said before walking off, smile fading to an evil smirk.

“COME BACK HERE YOU BASTARD, GIVE ME MY SON!"  Aubrey shouted.

_[Cryogenic sequence: Reinitialized.]_

"NO! LET ME OUT!"

_[In Five.…Four…..Three….Two…]_

Aubrey struggled once again as the cold assaulted her and she felt her muscles start to ignore her.

_[One.]_

Her world once again turned white, the last thing she was aware of was the feeling of tears freezing on her cheeks.

 

 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

_[Warning: Critical Failure in Cryogenic Array.  All Vault Residents must vacate immediately.]_

 

Aubrey once again woke, coughing and wheezing as the door finally, finally opened.  She fell to the ground as she struggled to regain her breath and wiping re-liquefied tears from her face.  She hauled herself up and over the Nate's pod.  "C'mon, c'mon, there has to be… a release…."  She whispered, spotting the control panel with a red lever.  She pushed it up and Nate's pod opened with another hiss and groan.

Once the mist had cleared, she got a good look at her husband.  "Oh my God…..Nate…no…."  She mumbled, taking his freezer burn covered wrist and feeling desperately for a pulse, refusing to think about the giant red splotch where his heart would be.  She felt his wrist, gave up and touched her fingers to his neck before collapsing to the ground.  "Nate…, god, please no…"

The silence around her suddenly made her realize that she was the only one moving.  None of the other pods had moved.  With a groan, she picked herself up from the floor and over to the next pod.  Her neighbor from next door was there, covered in the same freezer burn as Nate.  "No…"  
She ran to the next one, then the next, then the next, each time her gut sinking a little more.

"Dead…they’re all dead….I'm….I'm the only one left…."  She whispered, going back to Nate's pod and falling against it. "Oh God….Oh God…."

An image of Shaun, her baby boy being taken away from her, hit her like a truck.  She picked herself up and faced Nate.  "I'll find who did this."  She said, assuring herself as much as she was her husband's spirit.  She took his wedding ring and slipped it onto her left middle finger, lining it up with her own.  "And I'll get Shaun back."  With a heavy heart, combined with some aching feeling of determination, she closed Nate's pod, placing her hand on the window of the pod.  "I promise."

With that, she started for the door they'd come in.  As she approached, she noted the puddles of water pooling by the pods.  Ice melt.  She swallowed down bile and hit the button to open the door.

_[Malfunction in manual door override.  Please contact your Vault-Tec maintenance representative.]_

Aubrey huffed, kicking it angrily before trying the door to her right.  It opened and she jogged through, following the winding halls, and nearly vomiting when she saw skeletons lying around, held together by only the remnants of the Vault suits they wore.  She forced it to the place in her mind that she kept memories of cases she wished she'd never seen or heard of.

She opened another door and walked in, the hairs on the back of her neck standing up.  She slowed her pace, and picked up a baton lying on a nearby table.  It wasn't much, but it was a weapon.

She crept forward, eyes wide and searching for anything that might have caused her fear.  Through the window, she could see what looked like the reactor for the Vault.

Suddenly there was a small pinch at her ankle.  "Ow, what the he--OH MY FUCK!"  She jumped back, brandishing the baton in front of her.

At her leg was what looked like a giant cockroach, about the size of a small dog.  As if sensing her fear and disgust, the creature advanced, pincers clicking.  With a grunt, she brought the baton down on it, killing it with a splash of its yellowish blood all over her feet.  "Gross…" She muttered, stepping back.  "Giant roaches?  What the hell?"  She asked the air, continuing on into the reactor room.  She was about to throw the baton at another roach when a bolt of static discharge from the reactor hit it and electrocuted it then and there.

She gulped and made her way along the maintenance walkway, finding another two roaches and quickly killing them, one with the baton and the other by stomping on its head.  She forced down a wave of nausea and opened the last door, finding herself in the Overseer's office. 

She glanced around, picking up three Stimpaks that lay on the corner of the desk.  She almost jumped for joy when she saw a 10mm pistol laying by what must have been the Overseer's computer terminal.  She picked it up, checking the clip and actually did jump for joy when she found it was full.  She grabbed a few ammo boxes worth of rounds from the desk, sliding them into the pockets on the thighs of the blue suit she wore.    She went to the open security gate to the meager armory, pulling a few more rounds from the shelves, combing the lot of them into the one box she held.

She bit her lip briefly.  She only had two hands, and was running out of pocket space to hold everything.  She set what she had down on the desk and moved into the sleeping quarters behind the office.  She searched every drawer, finding mostly knick-knacks.  She pocketed a pack of cigarettes, hoping to find a lighter later.  After all she'd been through, she'd need a smoke.

When she opened the final drawer she grinned.  Pulling out a bundle of fabric, she inspected it.  It was a large backpack.  "I can use this." She said to herself, picking up a bundle of what looked like belts under it.  She shook it out and smiled wider.  "And a thigh holster.  Good.  These will help."

She put on the thigh holster and went back out to the desk, tucking the ammo in one side pouch and a Stimpak in the other, before slinging it on her back and placing the pistol in the holster. 

She fiddled around on the terminal, selecting the option to open some sort of Evac Tunnel.  A door at the far end of the office opened and she gave a sigh of relief. So at least she wasn't trapped.  She made a final run through of the area, checking for anything useful before heading out into the hallway…and nearly screaming.

A gauntlet of seven roaches lay in front of her.  She swallowed and pulled out the pistol, taking aim and firing, flinching at the sound echoing through the hallway.

One roach crumpled, but the sound had alerted the other six to her location. She squeaked as they started towards her, quickly firing off another 8 rounds before the roaches all lay dead at her feet.  She silently thanked God for her training in the Navy as she stepped over and around the carcasses on her way to the Vault door chamber.

After dispatching another two roaches in the chamber, she went over to the processing area where her clothes had been taken from her.  She searched every drawer and box, finding only a few more 10mm rounds, another Stimpak, and another Vault suit.  Her clothes were nowhere to be found.  She took the vacuum packed Vault suit and stuffed it into the back pack before reloading her gun and tucking the Stimpak in the side pouch with the others.

She headed to the door controls next, trying to lift the glass protector off the button to open it, with no avail.  She angrily hit other buttons on the console until she got a response.

_[Pip-Boy interface required to access Vault Door Controls]_

"A pipboy?  Where am I going to find--” She stepped back and kicked another skeleton by accident, but in doing so, she uncovered the arm bones the faded lab coat the unfortunate scientist had been wearing was covering.  There, like an answer to an unspoken prayer, lay a nearly pristine Pip-Boy.  Aubrey gulped and bent down, shuddering as she picked it up and the bones fell out of the arm sleeve.  She inspected it briefly before putting it on, adjusting the tightening mechanism until it sat snugly on her left forearm.  She rubbed the dust of the screen with her thumb as she powered it on.  She waited as it booted up and asked for her basic personal information before the built in biometric scanner took its readings. Once it was finally ready for use, she turned back to the console, taking the interface cable and plugging it in.  The pipboy bleeped, notifying her of a successful interface and the glass cover on the exit button flipped open.  Without hesitation she slammed her fist down on it, and the computer blared a warning siren as mechanisms and machinery not used in however long she'd been down there came to life.

She moved to the ramp as she waited for the door to open, taking the forgotten hair tie on her wrist and pulling her hair back into a ponytail.   
Once the door was open she jogged along the ramp and causeway and stepped on the elevator once the gate was lifted.  She took a deep breath and hit the button to return and the eerily cheerful computer spoke.

_[Enjoy your return to the surface, and thank you for choosing Vault-Tec.]_

Somehow, that didn’t comfort her as the elevator creaked and groaned as it lifted her back up to the faint light of day.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT - 05 APRIL 2018 - Fixed some continuity errors since I've updated and revised Aubrey's backstory. No major plot points have been changed.

The elevator's ascent seemed much longer than she remembered it going down, but slowly, the daylight grew and grew until she was forced to shield her eyes from the brightness.  The elevator finally ground to a halt and she rubbed at her eyes. 

Once her eyes had adjusted, she finally took a good look at her surroundings, gasping in horror as she took in the dead trees and the ruins of what had once been her home below the hill of the Vault.

"Oh God…"  She mumbled, stepping onto the edge of the bluff and shading her eyes to try and get a better view. For as far as she could see, everything was brown and dead, with only a few miniscule splashes of greenery spattering the ground.  She took a shaky breath and stepped back from the edge, wringing her hands as she wracked her brains for a plan of action.

She walked to a small structure to her left and glanced around, eyes pausing at a big red button in the center of a console.  She touched it gently, tracing her fingers over it, then under a line of worn text beneath it.

 _El-v-tor C-ntr-l_.

"Elevator Control." She whispered, jerking her hand away as if the text had somehow lit up with the heat of a stove top.  "A button.  A goddamn button."  She muttered, turning away from it.  She swallowed again and opened the first aid kit nearby, taking out a Stimpak, a bag of RadAway, and an antibiotic injector.  She put them in her backpack, trying to arrange everything so nothing would tear the RadAway bag.  
She left the structure, searching a few wooden crates in the vicinity, pocketing another bag of RadAway, and a bottle of Rad-X. 

Bile once again rose in her throat as she passed the skeletons of her neighbors who'd been denied entrance to the Vault.  The chain link fence and gate they'd died next to had long since rusted away in places, and she couldn't help but wonder just _how_ _long_ she'd been in the Vault.   The path she'd run up what felt like only a few hours ago was still visible, but plant life had started to encroach along the sides. She paused to glance at a bush with a dull blue flower blooming and allowed herself a small smile.  Even after all that had happened, life could still find a way to be pretty.  She resisted the urge to pick one and continued over the little footbridge and into her old neighborhood proper.  She took a moment to mark the place down on the map of the Pip-Boy, selecting a symbol that looked vaguely like the monument to the old Minutemen that stood at the bridge to Concord. 

She looked around again once she'd lowered her arm.  Most of the houses were still mostly intact, but a few had collapsed completely, now nothing more than piles of vaguely yellow or blue tinted rubble.  She sighed, thinking that there could have been supplies in there, and she'd never be able to get them.

With legs like lead, she pushed herself towards her house, too busy trying to process everything that had occurred in what felt like the most stressful morning of her life.  "And here I though the bar exam was tough."  She muttered, pulling up to a stop as she heard a noise from the side of the house.  She stepped back, hand resting on the handle of her pistol.

"As I live and breathe!"  Codsworth cried as he appeared from behind the corner and caught sight of her.  "Oh, it's--it's really you!"

Aubrey sighed and relaxed, walking up to him.  "Codsworth!  You're still here!"  She smiled, properly for the first time since waking up, the bot's British accent an immense comfort in the upside down world it looked like she was stuck in now.

"Well of course I am!  It'll take more than a little radiation to take down the pride of General Atomics International."  He paused for the briefest of moments, his middle eye scanning her up and down.  "But you certainly look the worse for wear.  Best not let the hubby see you in that condition. Where is Master Nate, by the by?"

Aubrey looked away, smile fading as a pang of guilt stabbed her in the heart and nausea swelled in her stomach.  "They--They killed him…"

She could hear Codsworth's  fans engage even as he spoke up. "W-wh.. Oh Mum, these things you're saying…These terrible things… I do believe you need a distraction. Yes, a distraction to calm this…dire mood. You know, it's been ages since we had a proper family activity. Checkers… or perhaps charades!  Oh Shaun does so love that game…Er, is the lad, er, with you?"

Aubrey shook her head.  "It doesn't make any sense….why would someone take my baby?"

"It's worse than I though.  Mhmm.  You're suffering from…hunger-induced paranoia.  Not eating for 200 years will do that, I'm afraid."

Aubrey stepped back, hand flying to her mouth.  "200 years….what? That's not…"

"A bit over two hundred and ten actually, give or take a little for the Earth's rotation and some minor dings to the old chronometer."  Codsworth gestured a bit with his arms.  "That means you're, um, two centuries late for dinner! Ha-ha!  Perhaps I can whip you up a snack?  You must be famished."

Aubrey leaned on the wall of the house, mind spinning as she tried to wrap her brain around this new information.  "I….what?  No, Codsworth, I need help, not food!" 

She snapped, then almost immediately regretted it.  "I'm sorry. I shouldn’t have--"

"You know, I have a theory.  Master Nate and Shaun may simply be hiding from the….Red Menace, mum."

"The Red Menace?  Really?" Aubrey arched an eyebrow.

"Yes, mum.  You know, those dreadful Chinese that started this whole---"

"Codsworth, you're acting….kind of strange…are you sure _you're_ okay?"

"I.…I….Oh, Mum it's been just horrible!  Two centuries with no one to talk to, no one to SERVE!"  The robot cried, fans whirring to try and compensate for the rush of programmed emotions.  "I spent the first ten YEARS trying to keep the floors waxed, but nothing get out nuclear fallout from vinyl wood…nothing.  And don't get me started on the futility of dusting a collapsed house.  And the car!  The CAR!  Oh, how do you polish rust?!"

"Easy Codsworth."  Aubrey soothed, reaching out and laying a hand on the scratched casing of his body.  "Stay with me, pal."

"I'm sorry, Mum.  It's just, you and your family left so quickly, I thought for certain you all were dead.  And then, everything _happened._ "

"It's...I'm here now.  I'm sorry I didn't get a chance to say goodbye properly." 

"It's alright, Mum.  Family first, of course.  Oh.  And I found this holotape.  I do believe Master Nate was going to present it to you, as a surprise.  But… well, here." The robot reached into his storage compartment and pulled out the keys and tape.  "My etiquette protocols wouldn't permit me to play it for myself, so I don't know what's on it."

Aubrey gingerly took the items, running her thumb over the label, where Nate had written "Hi Honey!" in his deplorable handwriting.  She tucked her keys into her pocket and loaded the tape in to the player on her Pip-Boy.  She hesitated for a moment before hitting the play button, biting her lip as she listened.

After a moment, and a sound of microphone feedback, Nate's voice started speaking. " _Oops, haha. Keep those little fingers away... Ah, there we go. Just say it, right there, right there, go ahead."_ Shaun's giggling could be heard in the background and Aubrey sniffed, fighting back tears.

" _Ah, yay! Hi honey, listen... I don't think Shaun and I need to tell you how great of a mother you are. But, we're going to anyway. You are kind, and loving,"_ More giggling from her son followed by a chuckle from her husband, _"…and funny, that's right, and patient. So patient; 'patience of a saint' as your brother used to say. Look, with Shaun and us all being home together it's been an amazing year but even so I know our best days are yet to come. There will be changes sure, things we'll need to adjust to. I'll rejoin the civilian workforce, you'll shake the dust off your law degree._

_But everything we do no matter how hard, we do it for our family._

_Now say goodbye Shaun. Bye bye, say bye bye?"_ Shaun giggled and babbled into the microphone and Aubrey couldn't help but let the tears fall from her eyes.

 _Bye honey, we love you."_   There was a click as the tape ended, and silence filled the air between Aubrey and Codsworth, broken only by the occasional sniff as Aubrey fought to regain control over her emotions.

"Thank you, Codsworth." She finally whispered.  "This…means a lot to me."

"You're welcome, mum.  Now, enough feeling sorry for myself.  Why don't we search the neighborhood together?  Master Nate and young Shaun may turn up yet."

Aubrey bit her lip.  "I….alright, Codsworth.  Lead the way." She finally said, following behind as the robot started humming an upbeat tune as he headed off into the cul-de-sac.

"Here we are… Sir?  Ack, have at you!"  Codsworth suddenly called, snapping Aubrey from her thoughts.  She peeked in the doorway of the house.  "Codsworth? What-- AH!"  She jumped back, raising her pistol again and aiming at what looked like a gigantic fly.  But before she could fire a shot, Codsworth had sliced it in half with a swipe of his buzz saw.  Aubrey shuddered, hands shaking as she lowered her gun.  "I hate bugs…" She muttered, stepping back out of the house.

"Hm.  Nothing here but a few flies…" Codsworth started and she tried not to scream, yell, and point at the halves of the bug and tell him in no uncertain terms that that was NOT A FLY!  "Oh, wait, my sensors are picking up movement in another house.  Follow me!"  He floated off across the street, into a house where all the furniture and some junk had been piled into the middle of the great room.  She stayed far enough back, pistol at the ready as Codsworth called out again, making short work of some more of those giant roaches like in the Vault.  She grimaced and swallowed around the lump in her throat.

"Your family isn't here either….they're…they're really gone aren’t they?" Codsworth asked, floating back over to her.

Aubrey smiled again, tearing her eyes away from the dead bugs around her.  "Thanks for trying, Codsworth." 

"Oh, Mum, you simply can't give up.  What about Concord?  There's still plenty of people there?  Maybe someone there can help you?"

"There's people alive in Concord?"

"Yes, Mum.  And, last I checked, they only tried to pummel me with sticks a few times before I had to return home."

"Great." Aubrey deadpanned.  "I like these people already."  
"Oh good.  I'm certain you'll be able to find some help then."

Aubrey shook her head, remembering that Codsworth had never been good at understanding sarcasm.  "Alright.  Concord it is."

"Very good, Mum!  I shall remain here and secure the home front!"  The robot replied, floating away and humming cheerfully again.

She chewed absentmindedly at the inside of her lip.  Concord had only been a short drive by car, but on foot?  It could take hours to get there.  She fiddled with her Pip-Boy, finding a clock and checking the time. 

It was almost noon, according to the clock, and the sun was high enough in the sky for her to trust it.  She shook her head, going back to her house and walking in, pain washing over her again as she looked around, moving at a snail's pace to the hallway and to her old bedroom.  The king-sized bed was only a broken frame now, the mattress probably looted or decayed decades ago.  The dressers were still standing, but it was obvious they were in disrepair, and at least 200 years old.  She closed her eyes and turned away, fighting back tears, only to fail again when she opened them up, staring straight into Shaun's room. 

She wiped at her face before stepping in, righting some of the furniture in the room, picking up the lamp and setting it up again.  As she went to move the changing table back against the wall, she stepped on a book.  One of the children's books she'd read to Shaun the night before the bombs.  She picked it up, dusting it off and inhaling deeply to try and calm her nerves.  She set it down on the table by the lamp before spinning the broken mobile on Shaun's crib.  The music box attached to it had long since failed, and most of the rockets that adorned it had fallen off or been taken.  With a renewed sense of determination, she straightened up.  "I'm coming, sweetheart."  She whispered to the air, a quiet prayer that she hoped would reach her son, wherever he might be. 

The rest of the house was just as empty as her room, with anything of real value having been lost to time.  She adjusted the backpack and stepped out of her home, glancing around the neighborhood again as she swallowed around the lump in her throat.  Only the house opposite hers seemed to have been lived in for any period of time.   "Can't hurt to look…"  She found nothing helpful.

The next house sent another pang of guilt through her system.  The house of her close friend, Derek, had completely collapsed in on itself.  There was nothing left.  "God…I hope you didn't feel anything."  She whispered, steeling herself as she did quick walkthroughs of the other houses along the street, finding only a vial of Med-X and a single Stimpak. "It's better than nothing…"

"Mum, b-before you go!"  Codsworth approached her, holding out a small bag.  "I'd purified some water over the past few years.  You should take some with you.  It can get unseasonably hot during the days."

Aubrey nodded, taking the bag and stowing the water in her backpack.  "Thanks again, Codsworth.  I'll be back as soon as I can. Stay safe, honey."

"Of course, Mum.  You as well."  The robot's voice wavered a bit as his fans whirred again.

Aubrey placed a hand on his casings again.  "I _will_ come back.  That's a promise."  She stated. 

Codsworth moved his middle eyestalk up and down, the equivalent to a nod. 

“Hey.  While I'm gone, do you think you could clear out the debris out of the master bedroom?  When I get back, I'm going to see if I can't repair the bedframe."

"Yes, Mum.  Absolutely, oh, thank you!"

Aubrey nodded, smiling as he cheerfully floated back to the house.  Facing the entrance to Sanctuary, she took a deep breath and set out, practically marching down the road, and over the half collapsed Old North Bridge.  Nausea once again welled up as she stepped around a relatively fresh corpse of a human being with a large wound in his side and what looked like an emaciated hairless dog with a tire iron sticking out of its stomach.  It looked like the man had bled out from a bite on his stomach after dispatching the dog.  She bit her lip before holstering her pistol and hefting the man up under his arms, dragging him out of the road and into the bushes.  She patted him down, trying not to think about what she was doing.  She pulled out a Stimpak, a box of .38 caliber bullets, what looked like some sort of jerky, and a small leather pouch that, strangely, contained 12 old Nuka-Cola bottle caps.  She arched an eyebrow, but tucked the pouch away.  It had been stowed in an internal pocket of the damaged coat he wore, and normally that meant its contents would be valuable.  "How bottle caps are valuable, I don't know, but I should probably hold onto them….just in case."  She said to herself, standing up and dragging the dog's body next to the man's before starting back on the road.

She'd walked for about an hour when she came up to the Red Rocket Station that marked the halfway point between Concord and Sanctuary, and sighed.  "Half-way there, and it's only one-thirty."  She huffed and slid her backpack off one shoulder, then pulled it around to her front, digging in it for a can of water. Once found, she was just about to crack the lid open when a cheerful bark sounded nearby.  Remembering the image from outside Sanctuary, she lowered the water and rested her hand on her gun, eyes searching around her for the dog.  Trotting out from under the overhang of the fueling station was a German Shepard, tongue lolling out happily.  He stopped about 3 meters in front of her and cocked his head, barking a few times again.

Aubrey relaxed, taking a step towards the Shepard and kneeling down.  "Hey boy… what're you doing out here all by yourself, hm?" She extended her hand for the dog to smell if he pleased.

The dog panted and stood back up, trotting over to her and licking her fingers happily. 

Aubrey chuckled and patted his neck and scratched his head between his ears. "You seem like an okay guy. How 'bout we stick together for now?" He barked softly and licked her face before she stood. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."  She chuckled, glancing around the station a few times.  "Hm.  We'll have to come back here, see if there's anything worth taking."

The dog gave another bark before trotting away back toward the station, stopping just shy of a small pillar in the concrete and took something from the ground.  Aubrey arched an eyebrow, then shook her head, zipping the backpack back up and resettling everything again.  She jumped when the dog suddenly appeared beside her, with a Stimpak held in his mouth.  She smiled and kneeled down, taking it from him.  "Well, aren't you smart, huh?  Good boy!"  She said as she rose, tucking it into her belt. 

The dog's tongue lolled out happily and he rolled over, showing his belly.

She chuckled.  "Okay, c'mon boy.  Let's go."  She said, walking back down the road.  "Well, at least now I have someone to talk to." She muttered as the dog ran ahead of her by a few feet, sniffing idly at the ground.  She glanced at her Pip-Boy, noting the time again before setting out proper again for Concord.

Aubrey chuckled and patted his neck and scratched his head between his ears. "You seem like an okay guy. How 'bout we stick together for now?" He barked softly and licked her face before she stood. "I'll take that as a 'yes'."  She chuckled, glancing around the station a few times.  "Hm.  We'll have to come back here, see if there's anything worth taking."

The dog gave another bark before trotting away back toward the station, stopping just shy of a small pillar in the concrete and took something from the ground.  Aubrey arched an eyebrow, then shook her head, zipping the backpack back up and resettling everything again.  She jumped when the dog suddenly appeared beside her, with a Stimpak held in his mouth.  She smiled and kneeled down, taking it from him.  "Well, aren't you smart, huh?  Good boy!"  She said as she rose, tucking it into her belt. 

The dog's tongue lolled out happily and he rolled over, showing his belly.  She chuckled.  "Okay, c'mon boy.  Let's go."  She said, walking back down the road.  "Well, at least now I have someone to talk to." She muttered as the dog ran ahead of her by a few feet, sniffing idly at the ground.  She glanced at her Pip-Boy, noting the time again before setting out proper again for Concord.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT - 05 APRIL 2018 - Fixed some continuity errors since I've updated and revised Aubrey's backstory. No major plot points have been changed.

They'd walked for another hour or so and were just about to the Concord city limits when the dog suddenly growled angrily, hunching down into a defensive posture. Aubrey arched an eyebrow, and crouched down herself.  "What is it, boy?  What do yousee?" 

She pulled her pistol, and clicked the safety off, mind flashing back to images of sniffer dogs and K9 units.  She crept forward, eyes locking onto a corpse of what looked like a cow lying in the middle of the road.  The dog growled again, and Aubrey squinted, shielding her eyes from the afternoon sun.  "What in the hell?"  She mumbled, wishing for any sort of binoculars.  Even a scope would be nice. At least then she'd be able to actually see what was around the corpse.

She crept forward slowly, the dog staying close to her side, but edging ahead of her by a half a step every so often.  Gooseflesh popped up on her arms and she could feel the tingling on the back of her neck as the tiny hairs stood up.  She swallowed around a knot in her throat. Something was very wrong here.  The cow had what looked like… sticks, jutting out of its stomach, but they didn’t look like normal sticks to her.  She chewed the inside of her lip and ventured a little closer down the road.

 The dog at her side, growled again, this time ending it in a small warning bark. 

She glanced over to him, her gaze shifted for only a moment before looking back.

 And screamed. 

The sticks she saw weren't sticks.  They were legs.  Legs that were attached to another giant bug. No, two giant bugs.  Giant bugs that looked like mosquitos.  Giant mosquitos that were _flying towards her._  

Her brain finally caught up with what was happening and she raised her pistol, firing off a few rounds at the oncoming insects.  The dog beside her barked angrily and jumped at the bug, biting at its low hanging legs. 

Aubrey backed up, firing a few more rounds, tearing a hole in one of the bug's wings, but missing the rest.  She swallowed bile, stumbling backwards a few steps and firing at its wings.

As it flew closer, she grit her teeth, grabbing the oversized mosquito by its own proboscis and swinging it to the pavement.  With a yelp, she jumped on what looked like its head, killing it with a sickening squelch beneath her boots.  She shuddered then turned back to the second bug, only to find that it had fallen prey to the dog's jaws.  The hole in its wing had crippled it, and it seemed the dog had pulled it apart.  She swallowed and nudged it with the tip of her boot.  The dog sat beside it looking up to Aubrey as if to ask _"How did I do?"_

"Great.  First it was giant roaches, then it was giant flies, now its giant _mosquitos?_ "  She groaned and wiped the sweat from her forehead with a shaky hand. The dog stood and pressed his nose against her thigh, staring up at her with an almost quizzical look.  Aubrey smiled.  "Well, at least you got one.  Someone trained you well.  Good boy." She said, scratching his ears.

He panted happily, tongue lolling out at the praise.

Aubrey took another deep and shaky breath, reloading and holstering her pistol.  She quickly inspected her boots, wiping them on a nearby patch of grass and shivering when the mosquito’s white blood left streaks on the grass, then started walking, keeping her weapon at the ready in case anything else decided she looked like a tasty meal.  With the dog once again at her side, she started walking into the destroyed streets of Concord.

Most of the buildings were boarded up, and the few that weren't were collapsed in on themselves.  She shook her head, trying not to think about the piles of charred bones scattered here and there.  People who'd been going about their business without a care before someone decided to kill the entire planet.  The caw of a crow startled her and she watched as it flew over hear head, swooping down to land on a power line that probably hadn't powered anything in centuries.

She sighed and trudged forward, frowning at the half-destroyed decorations hanging limply from the power lines and rooftops, the orange light of the setting sun casting long shadows around her.  She glanced at the time on her Pipboy and frowned.  "Gonna need to find shelter soon."  She muttered, shifting the pistol in her grasp.  The evening breeze whipped through the remnants of once familiar buildings, whistling a somber tune mixed with the distant staccato of gunfire.

Then the sudden not-so-distant sound of gunfire.  And then the distinct _zthoom_ of a laser rifle that was also not-so-distant. 

Aubrey gulped and jogged to the building, hunching down and peering around the corner.  She scanned for any signs of life, then darted to the next building, then the next then the next, until she stood at the main intersection outside the old Museum of Freedom.  The dog at her side once again started growling and she held up her clenched fist.  "Stay…" She whispered, and the dog whined but dropped to his belly.  Aubrey nodded to herself and crept forward, peering around the side of the building she was hiding behind.

Four or five people were shooting at a single man who was on the balcony of the museum.  Aubrey frowned and inched forward again, but stumbled in a pothole and grunted.  The nearest shooter turned around, suddenly, waving his gun around.  Aubrey froze, clicking the safety of her pistol off.  She swallowed and held her breath, blood pounding in her ears as he neared her position. 

He scanned the area, eyes locking with hers for half a second.  "HEY!  OVER HERE!"  He shouted, firing the weapon at her. 

Aubrey ducked behind the wall again, using it as a shield.  Several more gun were fired, and she could see the marks on the pavement where the bullets struck.  She breathed deeply and leaned around the corner, sending bullets to her attacker's legs.  She flinched as they screamed in pain, confirming that she'd hit her mark. 

She peeked out for half a moment, before ducking back again as a bullet whizzed past her.  "Great… They're still shooting…"  She sighed and readied her weapon, quickly aiming for her attackers arm, but before she could fire, a blast from the man on the balcony killed him.  She swallowed and creeped forward, disabling another two shooters before darting forward to a pile of sandbags and ducking behind it.  The dog barked at her, shifting around as if to say "Let me go, let me go!"

Aubrey whistled, and the dog bolted for the nearest attacker, biting down on his leg while Aubrey shot his arm.  The attacker went down after another red beam from Balcony Man's laser rifle and the street was silent for a moment.  Aubrey stood, her senses on high alert for any other dangers that might choose to present themselves. 

"HEY, YOU!  UP HERE, ON THE BALCONY!"  The man called, waving at her. 

Aubrey arched an eyebrow.  "I've got a group of settlers inside!  The Raiders are almost through the door!  Grab that laser musket and help us, PLEASE!"  He turned and darted back through the balcony door, leaving Aubrey alone in the street, surrounded by the bodies of what she could only assume were some of these "raiders" he'd mentioned. 

The dog barked and trotted toward the entrance of the museum, plopping down beside the stairs. 

Aubrey chewed on her bottom lip for a moment as she walked toward the museum, surveying the reddened street around her.   The man on the balcony seemingly had no qualms about taking these Raiders down, but then again, if the name was anything to go by, it could have been in self-defense…

She looked at the man on the ground by the door, kneeling down and taking his weapon, the ‘laser musket’ the man must've been talking about. She arched an eyebrow as she inspected it.  It looked more like someone had duct taped parts of a laser rifle to a normal hunting rifle's stock, but she had no idea how to use it.  It had a crank and a trigger, but nothing was really obvious on how it worked. 

The staccato of gunfire sounded from inside the building and she nodded to herself.  She'd stick with the pistol for now, and return the fallen man's weapon to the stranger in the balcony.  After she helped dispatch the raiders.  "Come on, boy.  Let's get this over with.  Maybe they can help me find Shaun."  She took a final deep breath and stepped into the Museum's foyer.

She could hear the sounds of the Balcony Man's laser musket and see the red beams as he fired at two Raiders who were hunkered down behind some crates.  The main stairwell had long since collapsed into a pile of rubble, so there was no obvious way up… unless the old tour rooms were still intact.  She fired a few pot shots up at the Raiders, and she heard one of them curse in pain as a bullet met its mark, as she darted to the room to the side.  She crept through it, flinching when the pre-recorded audio started up.  The dog bounded ahead of her, knocking down a few mannequins in the process and she readied her weapon again, double-tapping a raider as she whirled around, waving what looked like a homemade gun in Aubrey's face. 

The raider fell, and she proceeded up the stairs and around the corner, grabbing a box of Mentats and a bottle of water sitting on a table and into the final memorial room.  She dropped low as she crept around the corner.

"Don't you hear? Somebody's out there shooting the place up, let's just go."

"No, man, we gotta get that woman for the boss. I don't wanna be there if we get back empty handed."

Aubrey didn't want to hear any more.  "Hands where I can see them.  Now."  She ordered, coming around the corner and aiming her pistol at the larger of the two.

The shorter man's hands shot up almost instantly.  "Whoa, whoa, don't shoot!"

The larger man growled angrily and raised a shotgun.  Aubrey didn't give him a chance to fire, placing a round between his eyes.  He fell backward and the shorter Raider squeaked in fear.  Aubrey turned to him.  "Go. Leave, and don't come back." She ordered.

"Yeah, yeah, no problem lady.  Never see me no more!"  He whimpered, as he shuffled past her and sprinted down the hallway at top speed, screaming as he did.

Aubrey shook her head and picked up the shotgun shells from the dead raider, tucking them into her pocket.  "Could probably sell these. Or trade them."  She muttered, patting the dog on the head as he nuzzled her thigh again. 

She walked through a large hole in the wall and emerged in what must have been the employees’ only section of the museum.  She went up the staircase and crouched down again as two raiders screamed obscenities at a closed door.

"Come on man, they're not going anywhere, we got bigger problems to deal with."

"YOU HEAR THAT!  I gotta go take a walk, but when I get back, you're all DEAD!"

The dog growled again and darted out, and Aubrey's eyes widened.  "No!" She hissed, but it was too late, the dog had already jumped on the last raider.  With a sigh she stood and aimed her gun at the other raider.  "Hold it right--, ah!"  She ducked as he started towards her, holding a pool cue as a weapon.  She shot him twice, center mass and he was down.  She jogged over to the dog and was torn between being horrified and being grateful when she saw that he'd bit the throat out of the raider.  She swallowed bile and patted her hip.  "C-come on boy…"

He barked happily and she stepped out near the door.  "Hello?"  She called, looking around at the now silent upper floor of the museum.

"Quick! In here!" The door opened and Balcony Man waved her over.  She nodded and joined them, stepping to the side as the dog barked and bounded towards the room.

"Man, I don't know who you are, but you're timing's impeccable." Balcony Man said, smiling at her. "Preston Garvey, Commonwealth Minutemen."

"Aubrey Wilson...uh, glad I could help, but who are the Minutemen?"

Preston nodded.  "'Protect the people at a minute's notice.'  That was the idea anyway, when I first joined up.  I wanted to make a difference, and I did, but things fell apart.  Now it looks like I'm the last one standing."

"Damn…I'm sorry."  Aubrey said, finally lowering her pistol and tucking it back in its holster.  "Who are all these people?" She asked, gesturing around the room.

"Just folks looking for a new home; a fresh start."  He sighed and looked away.  "I've been with them since Quincy.  We tried to settle in Lexington but the Ghouls drove us out of there."  He closed his eyes in an anguished expression that Aubrey had seen on Nate's face far too often.  "A month ago, there were twenty of us.  Yesterday there were eight.  Now we're five.  It's just me, the Longs--Marcy and Jun--, that's old Mama Murphy on the couch.  And this here's Sturges."  He nodded his head to a man in overalls beside him. He gave a half-hearted greeting but seemed more focused on the terminal he was fiddling with than the woman who'd just saved all their lives. 

Aubrey shrugged and looked back at Preston.  "I'm sorry.  Sounds like you've been through a lot."

Preston scoffed.  "You can say that again.  We though Concord would be a good place to settle, but…well, you've seen what happened.  But…well, we do have an idea…"

"One second.  You mentioned ghouls.  In Lexington?  What are Ghouls?"

"Wow, you really aren't from around here are you…"  Preston's eyes widened.  Aubrey resisted the urge to roll her eyes. _As if the blue Vault suit didn't give it away?_

Preston cleared his throat.  "Ghouls are…irradiated people. Most are just like you and me, except they look pretty bad and live a real long time, but the ones I'm talking about are different. The radiation's rotted their brains, made them feral.  They'll attack you just as soon as look at you."

Aubrey shuddered. _Great.  More things that'll try to kill me_.  "So, let's hear about this idea of yours…"

Preston smiled again.  "Sturges? Tell her."

The man turned from the terminal and leaned against the desk.  "There's a crashed vertibird up on the roof.  Old-school, pre-war. You might have seen it."  He spoke with a thick southern twang and Aubrey felt a pang of nostalgia race through her.  He sounded like her brother.  "Well," he continued, not noticing her change in expression, "One of its passengers left behind a seriously sweet goodie.  We're talking a full suit of cherry T-45 power armor. Military issue."

"That is some…serious protection."  Aubrey offered, shifting her weight nervously.  She had a feeling she knew where this was going.

"It sure is.  But, get this.  Get the suit and you can rip the minigun right off the vertibird. Do that, and we give those raiders an express ticket to hell."

"I see…um… I guess it could work?"  She bit her lip.  "I, um…"

"There's just one problem." Sturges cut her off.  "The suit's out of juice.  Probably has been for a hundred years.  It _can_ be powered up again, but…we're a bit stuck."

"I.…I don't know… I'm not sure how I feel about using a minigun on people, even if they are raiders."

A woman in the back suddenly stood, stomping forward. "It's us or them!  And I'd rather we be sure it's them who die, not us!"

"Easy, Marcy." Preston soothed, raising a hand to placate her.  "It's a fair hesitation.  After all, she's a vault dweller."

"Hmph."

Sturges nodded.  "Look, I understand where you're coming from.  Really I do.  But those raiders will likely overpower us if we don't overpower them first, and I ain't got no clue how to move in Power Armor."

"What makes you think I do?"  Aubrey asked.  "I mean, I do know how to use it," _In theory_ , she added silently. "But why assume that I do?"

"Well, a lot of vault dwellers out here know how to. Don't ask me how."

"I.…" She looked around to the group of people and sighed.  "Alright… tell me how to power it back up."

"What you'll need is an old pre-war standardized fusion core.  You're long-term, high-grade nuclear battery used by the military and some companies way back when." Preston explained.  "And we know just where to find one."

"But," Sturges interjected. "We can't get to the damn thing.  It's downstairs…locked behind a security gate." He sighed.  "Look, I fix stuff.  I tinker.  Bypassing security isn't exactly my forte."  He glanced up at her again.  "You could give it a shot."

"I'm not so good with computers… but I think I may be able to get it for you. Give me a few minutes."

Preston nodded.  "Good luck."

Aubrey nodded and turned on her heel, heading back down to where she'd passed the basement.  She took a brief look at the computer terminal but shook her head.  That was more her brother's area of expertise than it was her.

She looked at the security gate and pulled a bobby pin she'd found on her way up from her hair, allowing the stray lock of hair she'd pinned up with it to fall in front of her face again.  She grabbed a screwdriver lying nearby and set to work.  She kneeled there for only a minute or so before the lock gave way.  "I knew there'd be a use for a slightly misspent youth." She muttered, pushing the door open and taking the fusion core from its charging station.

She returned to Preston and held it up, as if it were a trophy.  "Here we go.  Now, the Power Armor is…where exactly?"

"Just outside the office there.  Took out the roof so…"  Preston shrugged.  "I hope our luck's turning around.  Once you power up the armor, those raiders will know they picked the wrong fight.  Good luck."

Aubrey nodded and went to the door Preston had pointed at, passing the woman, Marcy, and a man, who must've been Jun huddled in a corner.  She stopped at the couch, arching an eyebrow at the old woman dressed as a fortune teller.  "Ma'am." She said, nodding her head politely. 

"Oh, look who Dogmeat brought us!  I knew he'd bring us back some help."

"So he's your dog?" Aubrey said, patting Dogmeat on the head.  "He's a good dog, well trained."

"Aw, he ain't my dog.  Dogmeat's what you'd call his own man.  He'll stick with you now. I saw it."

"You uh…’saw’ it?"

"It's the chems kid, they give old Mama Murphy the Sight.  I can see a bit of what was, and what will be, and what is right now.  And I see…there's something coming…drawn by the noise and the chaos, and it is… _angry._ "

Aubrey arched an eyebrow.  "Uh, okay… can you tell me anymore?"

"I see, I see….oh, God, kid it's horrible… claws and teeth and horns….the very face of death itself… I…That's all I can manage right now kid, and you got a job to do."

"I...yeah…okay… Take it easy, okay?"

Mama Murphy smiled.  "Don't you worry about me.  I'll be fine.  Go on now."

Aubrey shook her head and patted her thigh, and Dogmeat was there almost instantly as she went out the door to the broken office.  It took a few moments to remember her training on exactly how to use power armor, but powering it up was easy enough.  She'd been trained for usage when she'd been posted to North Dakota, a fallback point and staging area for Operation Anchorage.

But training in theory was a lot different from actually walking in it.  She turned the wheel on its back and it opened with a groan of metal and hiss of hydraulics.  She stepped inside and it closed around her.  She swallowed, fighting back the feelings of claustrophobia as she tested her range of movement.  Moving was a little awkward, but she eventually got the hang of it and took the minigun, wrenching it from its mount on the vertibird and walked to the edge of the roof.  She looked over to the balcony and noticed that Preston had joined her. 

"Boss? Hey, Boss, we got somebody up here!"  A raider shouted from the roof across the street.

Aubrey gulped and spun up the gun, hesitating to fire until fired upon.  A bullet glanced off her arm with a metallic clang not more than a second after she'd finished that thought.  She bit her lip and fired, making short work of the raider on the roof, and a few on the ground.

"Why don't you get down here? Show me that fancy gun up close!"  Someone taunted from below and she jumped down, the power armor absorbing the impact, and the subsequent shockwave knocking down a raider.

Dogmeat blasted past her, having made his way down through the building and went for the nearest raider while Aubrey made short work of the others, with the occasional red beam from Preston giving her the edge they needed.

The street was almost quiet when she set the minigun down, switching to her pistol again and taking out a few raiders on the roofs when a monstrous roar sounded. 

Everyone stopped. The raiders, Preston, even Dogmeat paused at the sound.

A maintenance hatch suddenly shot into the sky, pushed up from below as what could only be described as a monster climbed out of it, roaring again. 

Aubrey's eyes widened as it took one swipe at a nearby raider and sent him literally flying into the nearest building.  Dogmeat growled and Aubrey's muscles finally started to move as she dropped the pistol and grabbed the minigun again, quickly reloading it as the monster's eyes locked on her and started bounding towards her at top speed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, i totally got the Intimidation perk right off the bat.
> 
> Comments are very appreciated, please leave one?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT - 05 APRIL 2018 - Fixed some continuity errors since I've updated and revised Aubrey's backstory. No major plot points have been changed.
> 
> *Crawls out of a grave in a zombie-esque fashion*
> 
> I"M BACK FROM THE DEAD!!!!!
> 
> After recovering from a car accident, and dealing with school and work, and other life shit, I’ve finally found time to continue my story formerly titled Chronicles of the Wasteland.
> 
> However, I’m changing the title of the story to Massachusetts Bomb. It’ll still be part of a series called Chronicles of the Wasteland, but that will cover not only the adventures of my sole survivor, but also the adventures of my lone wanderer and courier. 
> 
> It will also allow me to write and post stories for any additional fallout characters, and have them all in one place for your viewing pleasure.
> 
> The tags i’ll use for tumblr posts specifically referencing Chronicles of the Wasteland works will be “SE COTW” 
> 
> The tag for Massachusetts Bomb will be “COTW MB”  
> Both without the quotation marks of course.
> 
> My tumblr is http://simpleenthusiast.tumblr.com/

She let out a primal scream as she held down the trigger of the minigun, sending a hail of bullets towards the monster.  She saw a small spray of blood splash out from its shoulder, but it didn't even seem to slow it down.  It roared loudly, nearly blowing out the speakers in her helmet and she winced.  Taking a deep breath, she started to back up, keeping the minigun trained on it, but only seeming to do small bits of damage to it.  She glanced up, noting a red beam from Preston's laser musket that seemed to head for the creatures belly, and moved to re-aim the minigun, but then—

_BAM!_

The thing crashed into her, sending her sprawling on to her back, grunting as she felt the hydraulics of the suit press awkwardly into her spine and ribs.  She looked up and screamed as the thing opened its mouth and bit down on the helmet.  

The sickening creak of metal sounded as the thing tried to break through the tempered and reinforced steel and he brought her arms up to try and wave it away.  She heard something resembling a crunch and felt her left arm collide with something and then the thing was off of her.  Releasing a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding, she stood back up, pulling the minigun around for another pass. The thing seemed to be more interested in Dogmeat, who was practically running circles around it.  She bit her lip then quickly jogged down the street, putting some distance between her and the creature. 

"DOGMEAT, HERE BOY!!!"  She shouted, and the German Shepard bounded towards her, luring the creature with him.  She squared her stance and aimed for the creature’s underbelly, where she'd seen Preston firing, and unleashed a fresh hail of bullets.

The creature roared in pain and staggered back, but the damage had been done.  The creature's gut was a mass of blood and shredded skin, torn to pieces by the minigun.   It stepped forward once, twice, then collapsed onto the ground, pawing weakly at the broken pavement.  It let out a weak call, then was finally still.  She dropped to one knee, bracing herself on the minigun, as she struggled to pull in a shaky breath.  She reached up and yanked off the helmet, sucking down lungfuls of the night air. Once the blood stopped rushing in her ears, and the pounding of her heart had slowed to a tolerable level, she stood carefully and started towards the beast.  She touched its front claw with the toe of the power armor's suit, breathing a sigh of relief when it didn't respond.  That combined with the massive and still growing pool of blood beneath it told her that whatever this was, it was dead.

She took another deep breath and clicked her tongue to Dogmeat, the dog trotting along at her side as she trudged back to the museum, stopping only long enough to grab her pistol again.  She pushed to door to the museum open, wincing as it flew back and struck the wall.  "Right," she muttered.  "Stronger than normal in power armor." 

She shook her head, then exited the power armor with a hiss of hydraulics.  Her back and shoulders protested as she closed the armor and took the pistol from the glove of the suit.

"That was a…pretty amazing display."

Aubrey jumped and whirled around to face Preston and his group as they joined her in the lobby.  "Are you guys gonna be okay now?"

Preston nodded.  "We should be.  Thank you for your help.  And listen, I know you didn't say anything about payment but…well, here.  It's not much, but it's the best we could do."  He held out a small bag of caps and a case of fusion cells.

"I.…uh…I don't know what to say, Garvey…Thanks."  She tucked the items into her backpack.  "What are you going to do now?"

"There's a place nearby called Sanctuary.  We're headed there. Hopefully it'll be safe place to finally settle down."  He sighed, setting his weapon down.  "Look, you've already proven you're capable, and willing to help.  I know you've got no reason to, but if you'd come with us…"

Aubrey nodded.  "I can take you to Sanctuary.  No worries."  
He smiled again, and nodded.  "Thank you.  Maybe our luck's finally turning around."

"That's real sweet of you, kid.  Honest.  But before we head out, you should know:  I Seen something about you."  Mama Murphy smiled up at the woman from her seat. "And I know your pain."

Aubrey arched an eyebrow.  "What do you mean?"

"You're a woman out of time, out of hope, but all is not lost.  I can feel your boy, he's out there."

"Shaun?  Where is he, please I need more…"

"Oh, I wish I knew kid, really I do. But the Sight is funny, and don't always paint a clear picture.  I don't know where he is, but I can feel his life force, his energy.  He's out there.  He's alive.  And I don't need the Sight to tell you where to start looking.  The Great Green Jewel of the Commonwealth: Diamond City."

Aubrey pursed her lips.  "That's….vague."

"Look kid, I’m tired now.  Maybe you bring me some chems later and the Sight'll paint a clearer picture."

"NO!" Preston snapped.  "Mama Murphy, we talked about this: That stuff, it'll kill you."

"Oh hush Preston, we're all gonna die eventually.  Now, we all need to get going, and you," She nodded to Aubrey, "You got a jewel to find."

Aubrey forced a smile and stepped back, idly listening as the group argued briefly over whether or not to go to Sanctuary while she readjusted her pack and weapons.  She glanced at the time on her Pipboy and sighed softly.  It was near 1am.  She was tired, and seeing as the group had already started for the door, it looked like she had another long walk ahead of her.

She muttered a few half-hearted curses to herself, then climbed back into the power armor suit, resigning herself to at least walking it back to Sanctuary.  At least there it would be safe from more Raiders who might get half a mind to use it. 

She brought up the rear, following the group back the way she'd first come to Concord, listening only half-heartedly to the conversations between everyone in favor of stewing over the events of the day.

She'd been awake for less than 24 hours, and she'd witnessed her husband's murder, her son's kidnapping, been shot at, was nearly mauled to death by a giant dinosaur-looking thing –which was apparently and aptly named a Deathclaw– and now was walking a suit of power armor back to her old homestead.  She sighed miserably, chest aching to wake up and for Nate to wrap her in his arms and tell her that it was all just a bad dream.

She stopped when she nearly crashed into Sturges while Preston chattered on about the Minuteman monument that stood outside the entrance to Sanctuary and she balked.  Had she really been walking that long without paying attention?  She shook her head as if it would clear her thoughts and readjusted Nate's rifle in her arms.   She frowned at the broken down carcass of the Old North Bridge that stood before her. Would the old thing be able to withstand the power armor thumping across it?

She bit her lip and slowly worked her away over it, making sure to step only on the strongest looking boards.  Once she was safely over the bridge she sighed heavily, walking it to the service station across the street from her house and exiting it there.  She pulled the fusion core from it, and left it at the workbench, rubbing her eyes then letting her hand card through her hair, pulling it down from its ponytail then putting it back up again.

"I'm glad you decided to come with us." Preston said, causing Aubrey to jump and whirl around.  He winced and put his hands up. "Sorry.   Didn't mean to startle you."

"It's alright." She let out her breath.  "What were you going to say?"

"I'm glad you came with us.  I think this place has some good potential don't you?"

She glanced around the area, at the broken down and collapsed houses, the trash and junk in the streets.  "I mean…well, yeah, with a broom and some elbow grease I suppose it could be suitable.  I liked living here…before the War."

"Before the War?"

Aubrey winced.  "Never mind.  Forget I said anything."

"No worries.  We've all got our pasts to deal with.  If you don't mind me asking, and if you're still willing to help, Sturges wanted to see you.  And…well, I had a favor to ask as well."

Aubrey glanced up, an excuse forming on her lips, but the look of near desperate hope on Preston's face stopped her.  "Alright, Garvey. Shoot."  
"I've got word from another settlement.  They're still hoping there are some Minutemen still out there.  They need help."

Aubrey chewed on her bottom lip for a moment.  "What kind of help?"

"Probably more raiders.  That's the most common complaint.  I'd go myself, but I've got my hands full here. Do you think you could help them out?"

She chewed some more on her lip, then nodded.  "I'll help.  But I have got to rest first.  I can barely keep my eyes open as it is."

Preston nodded.  "Of course. Yeah, god, I'm sorry." He pushed his hat back and rubbed his eyes. 

"You should try and sleep too."  Aubrey added, patting his shoulder before starting back towards her house.  "Good night."

Preston smiled, but was silent as he watched her.  Sturges ambled up beside him and squeezed his shoulder.  "I know that look.  What you thinking about?"

"If she comes through for us….you think maybe she'll be willing to help rebuild the Minutemen?"

Sturges shrugged.  "Dunno.  Guess we'll have to wait and see."  
  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Aubrey smiled at the attempt Codsworth had made at making a proper bed for her.  It was little more than a salvaged bed-frame with a sleeping bag on it, but it was better than the prospect of sleeping on the ground. 

"I know it's not what you're used to, Mum, but it was the best I could do with the materials at hand." The Mr. Handy unit offered.

"It's wonderful, Codsworth.  Thank you so much.  It really means a lot to me."  She smiled and gently patted the robot's chassis.  "Hey, listen.  How much more of those camping supplies did you find?"

"Oh there were about five or six more sleeping bags, not including this one. A few folding chairs and an oil lantern.  Why, Mum?"

"How long did it take you to make this?" She gestured at the makeshift bed.

"About an hour, but at the time, I had to find and gather the supplies.  Now that I know where everything is, it should only take me about 20 minutes per bed."

"And if you had help?"

"Much faster, I assure you."

Aubrey smiled.  "Great. Tomorrow morning, we're gonna make some of these for Preston and his crew before we head out."

“‘We’ Mum?"

"Yes.  I….I'm going to need your help. There's some people who live to the east of here who need some help, and I'm going to need help, and someone to talk to on the walk over."

"Of course Mum.  Proud to serve!"

Aubrey grinned, but it quickly stretched out into a yawn.  "Wake me at 8 o'clock?"

"Certainly Mum.  Sleep well."

"Good night." She smiled after Codsworth as he floated away, humming a merry little tune to himself, before she climbed into the sleeping bag and zipping it up around her against the cold of the Massachusetts night.  
A quiet woof startled her and she saw Dogmeat leaning with his front paws against the bed frame, head tilted as if to ask _Can I snuggle?_   Aubrey chuckled.  "Alright, boy, come on up."

Another woof and he jumped up onto the bedframe, settling down by her legs and offering an additional source of warmth.   She scratched his ears lightly.  "Goodnight boy."  She mumbled as she settled back down into the sleeping bag.  She lay there for a while, staring at the broken ceiling tiles, heart aching for Nate's presence at her back and she swallowed a sob.  But her exhaustion finally took over and she fell into a fitful sleep.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, and this short little peice of filler, but i figured I'd give you something

 

_Heat._

_Dust._

_The sound of scraping metal._

_"Hold on!"_

_"Shaun! Nate!"_

_A cloud blooming to the south._

_Alive._

_Confusion._

_Cold._

_Cold._

_Nothing._

_Confusion._

_Nate?_

_Who?_

_NATE!_

_SHAUN!_

_"NO!"_

_"Mum?  Mum!--"_

* * *

 Aubrey gasped and shot upright, kicking wildly at the sleeping bag.  "NATE?!!"

"N-no, Mum… It's me, Codsworth."  The robot spoke, hovering nearby, quickly peeling back the covers to allow Aubrey room to breathe.

The woman swallowed hard, wiping the thin layer of sweat from her forehead.

"Sorry Codsworth…" She muttered as reality slowly seeped back into her mind.   She rubbed the sleep grit from her eyes and swung her legs over the side of the bedframe.  She glanced down at herself.  She was still in her vault suit.  The thin blue and yellow monstrosity clung to her skin, sticky with sweat. 

She sighed heavily and stood up, pulling her hair down and running her fingers through it before putting it back up again.   "Alright, Codsworth.  Let's get to work on these beds."

"Mum?  Are you sure you don't want to eat first?  Or bathe?"

"There's no clean running water, or decent food.  And I really don't feel like eating Sugar Bombs this morning.  I'll eat later."

"As you wish, Mum. But I should tell you, it's only five-thirty in the morning.  You asked to be woken at eight."

"Don't worry about it Codsworth.  I wouldn't be able to get back to sleep anyway."

"Yes, Mum."

Building the beds took less time than she anticipated, as her Pipboy told her it was 8 when she pulled the last one into the house across the street from hers. 

"That's real nice.  We'll all feel better now with proper places to sleep.  Now we'll need fresh water and food." Sturges said, clapping her on the shoulder.

Aubrey hummed.  "Codsworth?  I know I asked you to go with me before, to this Tenpines place, but do you think you could stay here, and help Sturges build a well?"

"Of course, Mum.  Whatever you say.  Mr. Sturges?  I assume you have a good place to start?"

"Yeah, actually. Figured over there by the playground might be a good place…"

Aubrey stepped away solemnly, leaving the two to figure out the logistics of a well.  She whistled, high and loud, and Dogmeat bounded over to her.  "Ready to go, boy?"  She asked, scratching his ears.

He panted, tongue lolling out before licking her hand.

"I'll take that as a 'yes'." She smiled weakly before returning to her house and grabbing her pack, pistol, and Nate's rifle, and starting down the curve of Sanctuary's road.

* * *

The walk to Tenpines was quiet, save for the radio playing from her Pipboy.  Dogmeat trotted along happily at her side, occasionally running ahead of her to sniff the air, but always returning to her.

She smiled at the dog's playful nature, allowing herself a small giggle when he started chasing his tail in front of her.

She followed the main roads, checking her map at every intersection to make sure she was headed the right way.  But she hesitated when they arrived at a railroad crossing.  Chewing her lip, she checked her map, trying to gauge the distance to Tenpines Bluff. 

With a decisive nod, she crossed over a swatch of grass before following the railroad tracks down into a small canyon.

Dogmeat barked suddenly, standing near a piece of plywood with an arrow sloppily painted on it.  She checked her map once more, then shrugged, following the sign -- which turned out to be a trail of signs-- until a small cabin came into view.

"Hello?" She called, as Dogmeat ran ahead of her again, practically running into the wall of the cabin and barking.  "Is anyone here?"

She walked up, noting a woman in a garden of what looked like tomato vines standing and glancing toward the cabin.  She followed the woman's gaze and stopped dead in her tracks, throwing her hands in the air.

"Easy now, we don't need any more trouble."  The man spoke, leveling a shotgun at her.

"I'm not here to cause trouble…the Minutemen sent me.  They said you asked for help."

"The Minutemen?"  He lowered the shotgun.  "Didn't think you folks still existed.  Not after Quincy.  Bad business that."

Aubrey arched an eyebrow, slowly lowering her hands.  "So what's the trouble?"  She asked, smiling sweetly.

"There's a group of raiders nearby that's been harassing us for weeks.  Stealing food and supplies, and threatening to kill us if we don't pay up.  We know where their coming from, but…well, we can't risk going after them, and leaving the farm unattended.”

Aubrey nodded.  "Alright.  I'll see what I can do."

"Oh, thank you!" The woman said, appearing behind her husband.

Aubrey smiled and fiddled with her Pipboy, letting the farmers mark the old Corvega plant in Lexington.  She chewed on her lip some more, tracing around roads and railroad tracks to try and find the most efficient way to get there. 

She sat on the cliff-face, legs dangling over the edge with Dogmeat laying at her side.  She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.   "Well boy, it's going to be another long walk.  Feeling up to it?"  
The dog woofed happily and licked her elbow.    
"Alrighty then.  Let's get going."

* * *

The sun had been down for about an hour and a half by the time she actually made it to the assembly plant on the outskirts of Lexington.  She crouched near a small staircase, straining to see in the deep blackness of the night.  She could hear a few of these Raiders chatting to themselves, something about one of them leaving for the old Beantown Brewery.  She made a quick mental note to avoid that place in the future.

She chewed her lip, scratching Dogmeat's ears absentmindedly.  It was dark, and hard to see.  If she moved now, she risked being mistaken for an attacker and shot on-sight. And she didn't know the lay of the land.  All she wanted was an audience with whomever was leading this gang of bullies, and maybe sweet talk her way into them leaving folks alone.

But the severed heads and dismembered bodies strung up on pikes and bits of twisted metal didn't bode well for that option.

So that left two other options:  Turn around and run, and leave the folks at Tenpines Bluff on their own, or she could hope and pray someone decided to listen to her.   She sighed.  "I promised I'd help them…Guess all I can do is wait until morning…"  She took a deep breath and sat down.  "And hope nobody shoots me."

She kept a silent vigil from her spot by the staircase, her nerves to active to allow her any rest, though Dogmeat curled happily up beside her.

 

 

 

 

 


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> EDIT: 10 APRIL 2018: Content has been added and a few revisions made.
> 
> NOTE: This chapter contains content from Kris Takashi's "Settlers of The Commonwealth" mod ( http://3dnpc.com/wiki/fallout-mods/fallout-4/settlers-of-the-commonwealth/ ). It's a great mod that puts a bunch of new unique settlers in the Commonwealth, including robot and Super Mutant settlers.  
> Content has been used with the creator's permission.

There was a song about waiting being the hardest part of something.  She'd listened to it and sang along happily in her car with Nate bellowing the lyrics right beside her.   Before the bombs, the most she'd had to wait for anything was in the line at the Super-Duper Mart.

Now?

Well, if the time on her Pip-boy was right, she'd been waiting for two hours. 

It felt like ten.

The chatter of the Raiders around her kept her occupied for a few minutes at a time.  One was talking about something called Jet, and it sounded to her like it was some sort of hallucinogenic drug.  Which didn't bode well for her being able to reason with these folks.   If they were doped up on chems….  
She shuddered and pushed that thought from her mind.  She'd just have to hope that _someone_ in the bunch was sober enough to actually use their brain.

She fiddled with her Pip-boy for a while, learning all of the functions and gizmos it had built in, before hunkering down against the chill of the autumn night.  Dogmeat woke and licked at her hand as she scratched his ears with a sigh.  She still had a long while before the sun would show.

Aubrey woke with a start, jerking out of the ball she'd curled into.  Her Pip-boy read that it was an hour later. Dogmeat perked up and licked at her face, woofing softly.  "Jesus Christ."  She moaned, rolling her neck and shoulders in turn to work out the stiffness.  She quickly wiped the grit from her eyes and peeked over the small wall she'd hidden behind.

There were still plenty of Raiders around, but the voices were all different.  "Changing watch." She mumbled.  "That suggests something resembling intelligence.  At least in their leaders." 

Dogmeat suddenly stood up, baring his teeth and growling. 

Aubrey arched an eyebrow, then peered into the blackness once more.  Two of the raiders were walking towards them, guns raised.  "Who's out there?"

"Show your face."

Aubrey gulped and patted Dogmeat's head before standing up.  "Hello?" She called, resting her hand on the handle of the pistol at her hip.  "I'm, um, a bit lost?"

One Raider snickered.  "You're lost?  Well, sucks to be you." 

Aubrey ducked back behind the half wall as the raider opened fire.  She quickly pulled out her pistol as Dogmeat bounded forward, jumping on one raider.  She took aim and fired.  Two rounds, center mass, just like she'd been taught.

More gunfire reverberated off the walls around her, and she ducked back behind her cover.

"I don't want to have to do this!" She called out as she quickly reloaded her gun.

More raiders emerged, coming from the scaffolding and converging on her.  With no other choice, she quickly defaulted back to her Navy training. 

Aim. Fire, fire.

Aim. Fire, fire.

Repeat, reload.

She registered the mechanical click and warning of a turret nearby and whipped her head around, her mind screaming at her to find it, even as something hit her upper arm.

Contact. Aim, fire, fire, fire.

The turret exploded in a fiery ball and she saw a raider clutch his middle and fall back.

More raiders.  One sprinted at her with all their might, raising a pool cue over his head.

She easily blocked it, and struck him across the face with the butt of her gun.  Dogmeat took the opportunity and went for his throat.

She focused again on the other Raiders that were still semi-distant from her.

Aim. Fire, fire.

Aim. Fire, fire.

Aim, Fire, fire.

And then the front was silent.

No more gunfire; no more screaming.  Nothing, save for her harsh breathing and Dogmeat's panting.

She hunched down behind her wall again, quickly reloading her weapon then holstering it. 

Dogmeat sat down beside her and cocked his head, tongue lolling out.  She weakly reached up and patted his head.  "G-Good boy..." 

Her brow wrinkled and she looked at her arm.  Blood was soaking through the sleeve of her Vault suit and dripping down. 

And then the pain of the bullet hole in her arm made itself known to her and she recoiled, pressing her good hand to try and stop the bleeding some as her breathing became rapid once more and her vision zeroed in on the wound.

Dogmeat whined and nosed at the Stimpak she had in her belt, as if to say _Use this, Human, it will help._

She grit her teeth and pulled the stim out and tore the cap away with her teeth.  With a deep breath, she stabbed the needle above the wound and pressed the button to release the medication.

She watched as the Stimpak worked, shivering as her muscle and skin began to knit back together.  Slowly the blood stopped flowing, and the only remaining evidence that she'd been shot was a small, tender, red patch of skin. 

And it was only the front of the building. She hadn't even made it inside yet.

She looked at the time again.  It was going to be a long and stressful night.

* * *

 "Stay DOWN! Jesus…."  Aubrey muttered, putting the last bullet in her clip into the raging Protectron before reloading and peering over the computer console she'd ducked behind.

The thing must've taken a hit to its combat inhibitor.  That was the only reason that would explain why it had suddenly stopped shooting at the raiders and started shooting at the half assembled cars and her. 

She heard another car engine burst into flames and she ducked back down behind the console as another explosion rocked the building.

"Functions….terminated….."  The Protectron bleeped out as it finally, finally fell and the building was once again silent.  In its frenzy, and the subsequent explosions, most of the raiders had been wiped out.  Except for the leader, whom Aubrey herself had put down. 

She waited a few beats to make sure no other cars were going to explode in her face, then stood up, picking her way over the garbage and debris to the bodies.  She searched each one, taking the ammunition and valuable items as she worked her way up onto the platform above her.  There was a mattress on the floor next to a steamer trunk.  She glanced at the time on her Pipboy and rubbed her eyes.  It wasn't much, but it would suffice.  She checked through the room once more, searching the trunk and shoving the valuables into her pack before collapsing on the mattress.  Dogmeat curled up at the foot of the mattress with his head on her shin. 

She awoke to Dogmeat licking her face.  "Dogmeat… c'mon boy, get off…" She muttered, gently pushing the Shepard away before stretching her arms. Sunlight streamed through the factory's few little windows and she sighed, hauling herself off the mattress.  The building groaned ominously as she made her way back out, picking over the bodies and garbage and debris.

Once out in the fresh air she sighed heavily, idly scratching Dogmeat's ears as she checked her Pipboy, mapping out her route back.

The walk was blessedly uneventful as she trudged past the skeletons of buildings she once frequented.  She passed the bar where she'd go after the particularly tough cases, then the bakery where she'd met Nate.  Both sent pangs of nostalgia stabbing through her chest.  Here she was, in a place that she knew quite well, and yet also didn't know.  Everything was broken down, or completely destroyed, or possibly renamed.  Who could tell how many people in the area could actually _read_ now. And while she technically knew where everything was, the old highways were unusable now, even for foot traffic.

Dogmeat's barking drew her from her thoughts.  He whined at her feet and cocked his head.  "What's the matter boy?"  Aubrey mumbled, glancing around the area, then at her Pip-Boy.  "We're still on track, what is it?"

He barked again and nuzzled her leg. 

Aubrey chuckled.  "What, you trying to make me feel better?"  She patted his head, and he started licking her arm and face as she kneeled down.  "Thank you, boy…” She cooed, taking a few minutes to scratch his ears and rub his sides and belly.  "Alright, boy, let's get moving again.  I wanna get back to that farm before nightfall."  

When she finally trudged over the bridge to Tenpines bluff, she was exhausted.  The sun was only barely still over the horizon, casting long shadows around her.  The woman looked up and called to her husband as they moved to greet her.   "You're back!"  The husband smiled.  "That means, either you haven't gone after those raiders yet….or, good news?"

Aubrey mustered up a smile.  "Those raiders won't be bothering you anymore."

"Oh, that's great news!"  The woman beamed, clapping her hands together.  "Listen, we'd been talking… and we decided that if you came through for us, we'd join up with the Minutemen again.  IF we want things to get better, we have to take care of each other."

"Thank you.  Your support means a lot to us." 

"Oh, but you must be exhausted, and probably injured."  The woman frowned.  "We were just about to have dinner, we can spare a meal for you, if you want. But I can understand if you want to get back out on the road."

Aubrey nodded.  "I appreciate the offer, really I do, but there's a group of people in the settlement I'm from.  They're in desperate need of sustainable food.  If I could trouble you for some seeds…"

"Of course!" The man smiled at her.  "You sit down, have a rest and a drink.  We'll get you set up."

"Thank you.  You have no idea how much this will mean to them."

The man went off towards the garden as the woman brought Aubrey into the small repaired house they'd lived in.  "Here, sit down there, and let me get you something to drink.  You have a preference, we got beer, some Nuka-Cola, and regular water if you want."

"Uh… just plain water if you don't mind.  I'm positively parched."

The woman pulled a can of purified water from their non-functioning refrigerator and offered it to her.  "We can't thank you enough, Ms…um…"

"Aubrey.  Aubrey West."  She smiled. 

"Well, Ms. West.  It's a pleasure to have you.  And thank you so much for your help."

"Well, I won't say it was no trouble, but I was happy to help."

"I’m Grace, by the way.  My husband's name is Charlie."

"Pleasure."  Aubrey nodded as she swallowed down the water. 

Charlie came back in shortly after, setting a pack at Aubrey's side.   "I'm sending you with some tatos, seeds for the spring, and a bit of the salt fish and Brahmin we had left.  It's not much, but it should help your people get through the winter.  It's looking to be mild this year."

Grace nodded.  "Yeah, normally we've started to see snow flurries by now."

Aubrey took the sack and tied it to the gaudy Vault-Tec backpack she had.  "I can't thank you enough."

"Well, you helped us, it's only fair we help you."

Dogmeat barked from the doorway and Aubrey sighed.  "I'd better get going. It'll be pitch black soon, and I don't want to be caught on the open road in the dark."

"You can stay the night here if you want.  We got an extra sleeping back in the shed." 

"Oh, I don't want to impose…."

"Nonsense."  Grace said.  "You're welcome to stay.  Anyone under the flag of the Minutemen is."

"I…” She glanced back and forth between the two farmers, and the rapidly darkening scenery outside.  "Alright.  Thank you so much.  At least allow me to help out around here…somehow."

"You've done enough for a while." Charlie started. "Taking out those raiders must've been quite the undertaking.  Especially for a Vault-Dweller."

"How did you--"

"That contraption on your arm.  Only Vault Dwellers wear them. That and the backpack."

"Oh." Aubrey looked at her Pip-Boy and shrugged.  "Well, you're not wrong.  On both counts."

Grace placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, Ms. West.  Charlie didn't mean nothing by it.  Come on, let's get you settled." 

* * *

As Aubrey followed the woman out of her home, she couldn't help but think of her old homestead outside of Atlanta.  When she was a girl, she'd been able to just skip about and stay over at her friends' houses with little to no warning.  It was a bittersweet experience to be treated this way again.

The shed they'd set her up with was small, but cozy in its own way.  Dogmeat curled around her legs as she set an alarm on her Pip-Boy and settled into the sleeping bag.

It wasn't easy to sleep, but it was better than trying to find shelter on the road. She seemed to wake every three hours or so, have to readjust her position, then fall back asleep, but by the time her alarm went off in the morning, she felt rested enough to endure the walk back to Sanctuary.

She bid goodbye to the couple just as they were on their way out to start their morning routines.  The sun was barely over the horizon, but it was light enough for her to see.  

A young woman in an ushanka hat was thumbing through a worn book near a campfire and smiled when Aubrey stumbled out.  "Hi there, my name's Kim!  You?"

Aubrey smiled.  "I’m Aubrey.  Nice to meet you, Kim.  You work here with the Waters?"

"No.  I was hitching a ride with the caravan looking for settlement work, but so far no one's hiring."  She frowned.  "I'm a real tough worker, and good with plants, especially ones that grow in the cold, but it seems everyone's pretty much set."

"Plants that grow in winter?"

"Yeah!  Mostly hubflowers.  They don't bloom in winter, but you can still get their leaves and bark from the main stems.  Good for medicinal ointments and teas."

Aubrey pursed her lip.  "What about edible crops?  You know, staple foodstuffs."

"Oh, uh, well, the only one that will even try to grow are tatos, so I hope you don't mind eating them for three months."

"I figure if you're hungry enough, you'll eat them."

"That's very true."

Aubrey smiled, extending her hand to the young woman.  "Kim, I may have a job for you."

"Really?  That's awesome!  I should've run into you sooner!"  She took Aubrey's hand with gusto.  "Where do ya want me?"

"A small town to the east of here. Follow the main road to Concord then turn north.  Past the old Red Rocket and you'll run right into it.  I'm heading back there now, you're welcome to walk with me."

"Great!  Thank you so much!  Oh, and if you're looking for someone with defense experience, Seven's contract with Miller's caravan is up soon."

Aubrey nodded.  "I'll speak with her."

Kim beamed and starting gathering a small backpack as a blonde woman with facepaint approached them.  "I heard my name?"

Aubrey offered a smile.  "You must be Seven."

"That's me.  What's up?"

"Kim says you're looking for a new gig?"

"Yeah.  Preferably in one place, but if I can't find anything, I'll hook up with a caravan again.  I’m a damn good shot though.  Should be able to find work as a guard somewhere."

"How 'bout with me.  I know a small settlement east of here that needs some proper defenses.  Everyone's armed, but having someone who knows what they're doing would be a boon."

"Great.  What's the place's name?"

"Sanctuary Hills.  We're heading there now."

"Cool.  Let me just tell Miller I'm heading out.  Get my wages."

"Of course." Aubrey smiled, chewing her lip and hoping the others wouldn't crucify her for bringing two new mouths to feed.

* * *

 

Kim was very animated about her plants, explaining to Aubrey that tato plants and hubflowers, and a few other plant species had adapted well to the Commonwealth winters and then talking about how to tend them.  Seven scouted ahead, with Dogmeat running happily back and forth between them.

As they passed an old quarry, they all had to pause as the sound of banging and cursing coming from it.

Aubrey frowned.  "Seven, why don't you and Kim go on ahead to Sanctuary.  Just follow the road north through Concord, past the old Red Rocket station.  You'll walk right into it."

"You sure, boss?" Seven asked, her weapon at the ready.

"I'm sure.  Ask for Preston Garvey when you get there.  Tell him Aubrey West sent you, and your skill sets.  He'll get you settled."

Kim nodded.  "Be careful, okay?  I'd feel terrible if you never came back."

"I will, don't worry." Aubrey smiled.  "Oh, here.  Take this bag with you.  It's got some starter seeds and some salted meats for the settlement."  Aubrey watched the two women for a while before turning up the dirt path to the quarry, Dogmeat trotting happily beside her.

The quarry was mostly deserted, save for a small construction pod with a bed and some foodstuffs on a desk.  Dogmeat barked softly and Aubrey turned around, jumping when she saw a man had appeared beside her.  "What're you doing?"

"I heard shouting," Aubrey sighed.  "I came if anyone needed help."

"Help, huh.  Well, I got some paying work for you.  It's a bit dangerous, but you look like you can handle it.  I'll give you 50 caps for your time."

Aubrey arched an eyebrow, noting that Dogmeat was quiet and alert.  "What do you need help with?"

"Well, the pumps in good shape and should at least start, but it looks like there's some leaky connections flooding the quarry.  Think you can fix 'em?  The leaks'll be underwater.  I'd do it myself, but I can't swim very good."

Aubrey nodded slowly.  "Alright…I'll see what I can do."  She reached down and patted Dogmeat's head.  "Come on, boy." 

"Look for bubbles, and you should find 'em."  He called out as she started down the quarry ramp to the waterline. 

The water was fairly clean, and she could see three disturbances in the water.  "Three leaks, all in different sections of the pool.  Great." She sighed, setting her backpack down and rolling her neck and shoulders.    "Well, boy, at least I won't need a bath."  She muttered, taking off her boots, stripping down to just her vault suit, and taking a dose of Rad-X, just to be safe.  "Here we go."

She jumped into the water, hunching in on herself at how cold it was when she surfaced.  "Something tells me 50 caps is way underpaying me."  She mumbled, swimming for the first stream of bubbles.   Gulping in air, she dived down, following the bubbles until she found the leak.  A loose valve.  _Thank God.  Easy fix._

She gripped the yellow turn wheel and yanked, bracing her body against the pipe for leverage.  Once the valve was closed, she kicked off the pipe, surfacing with a gasp.  "Guess singer's lungs are more useful than I thought.  Okay.  One down, two to go."

She repeated the process with the other two valves and swam back to where she'd left her things and climbed out of the water.

Dogmeat was soon at her side, licking her face happily.

"Heh. Hey, boy.  Thanks for watching my stuff."  She chuckled, shivering as she grabbed her boots, pack, and armor pieces and started back up the ramp.

She greeted the man at the pump.  "How's that?"  She asked through chattering teeth. _This was a mistake._

"That's the ticket!  Why don't you do the honors, just hit that switch on the end of the pump. Then you can sit a spell at the fire 'til you dry off."

"Thanks."  She smiled, going to the circuit breaker and flipping the switch.   With a grinding rumble, the machine clambered to life.

"That's done it! Just listen to her go." The man beamed, patting the machine gently.  "Wait… Did you hear that?"

Aubrey frowned, but before she could say anything, two large – somethings – erupted from the nearby earth and started skittering towards them.  Aubrey stifled a scream and reached for the pistol in her pack as Dogmeat barked and bolted for one of the creatures.

The thing struck the dog with a massive claw, causing him to whine in pain, and Aubrey grit her teeth.  "That's _my_ dog!"  She spat, aiming for the creature's face and sending four bullets at it in quick succession.

That put it down fast.

She darted around the pump to see that the man had already dispatched the other creature and was panting, his hands braced on his knees.    "You alright?" Aubrey asked, grabbing her pack and fishing for a Stimpak.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine.  Ugh, Mirelurks,” The man shook his head as he straightened up.  "Guess I shouldn't be surprised that stirred them up.  Anyway, I've still got some tinkering to do with this thing, but it shouldn't be too hard now.   Thanks for pitching in."

"No problem, happy to help."

"Here's your pay, and you can have this old magazine.  I don't need it anymore.  Like I said, you can have a seat by the fire 'til you dry off."  He nodded at her, handing her the items.

Dogmeat growled at the man as he turned away and Aubrey frowned as she settled by the nearby campfire.  The sun was high in the sky, and between that and the fire, it shouldn't take her long to dry off. 

The man came over a few minutes later, with several slabs of bloody meat on an old grate.  He set it over the fire, mumbling to himself about hating the taste of the creatures. 

"Sir, what exactly are you planning on doing with this place?"  Aubrey asked as she wrung her hair out, noting how Dogmeat kept putting himself between her and the man.

"I got some friends who want to move in, is all." 

"Why choose a quarry?"

"None of your business."  The man said, giving her a side-eye look in warning.

Aubrey frowned, but said nothing else, watching as he tinkered with the pump some more.

She stayed for about 20 minutes, until her suit was dry enough for her to comfortably walk.  She laced her boots back up and shouldered her pack.  "I’m heading out." She offered.  "Good luck."

"Mhm."

She chewed her lip, more questions on her tongue but ultimately decided against saying anything else and starting back for the main roads.

* * *

 

The walk through Concord was thankfully quiet, and she arrived back in Sanctuary around mid-afternoon.

Dogmeat barked happily and bolted across the street, nearly knocking over Preston in the process as he came out to greet them. “Hey there, you're back!"

"I am. Did Kim and Seven make it here okay?"  She asked.

"They did.  Marcy wasn't too happy about more people in town, but Kim's already started transplanting some hubflowers from the nearby area and putting some seeds in the ground for tatos.  Seven and Sturges were working on defenses last I checked."

"Great.  I'm sorry if I caught you off guard with them."

"It's alright.  We could use the help.  But, about the settlement I sent you to?"

"I helped them.  The raiders that were harassing them are gone.  And they decided to support the Minutemen."

"Good, good!"  Preston's smile was contagious and Aubrey couldn't help but smile as his spirits seemed to lift exponentially. "Here,” He reached into a satchel on his belt and handed her a small pouch.  "You should have this flare gun.  It's…not much use right now, but when we have more allied settlements, you can use it to call for help from wherever you are."

"Thank you...that's very thoughtful."

"You’re welcome.…" He paused, shuffling his feet and shifting his weight for a moment.  "So…there's something I need to ask you."

Aubrey arched an eyebrow, tucking the flare gun into her pack.

"I don't think I ever told you what happened to the Minutemen…how I became the last one."

"Oh."  She looked up, meeting his eyes with a gentle smile.  "I figured you'd say something when you were ready."

"I.…, uh.  Have you heard of the….Quincy Massacre?"

Aubrey's stomach dropped as she shook her head.  "Your group…you came from Quincy, right?"

"Yeah...Mama Murphy, Sturges, the Longs…they were all from Quincy…I thought everyone had heard that by now…where the Minutemen betrayed each other, and the people they were supposed to protect."  He sighed heavily, breaking their eye contact.  "I was with Colonel Hollis's group.  A mercenary group called the Gunners was attacking Quincy; the people there called for the Minutemen to help.  We were the only ones that came…The other groups…they just…turned their backs.  On us, and the folks in Quincy.  Only a few of us got out alive. Colonel Hollis was dead, and I ended up in charge of the survivors."

"My God...I'm so sorry…"

Preston nodded, pressing his lips into a thin line.  "We never found a safe place to settle.  Just…one disaster after another.  You saw how it ended, in Concord."

"Well...at least you can be safe here…" Aubrey smiled weakly, squeezing his shoulder.  "Are you really the last Minuteman?"

Preston scoffed. "Maybe not literally.  There are probably a lot of former Minutemen out there who gave up in disgust after Quincy.  But we were the last active group.  And now it's…just me."

"Hey,” She found his gaze, her green eyes meeting his brown.  "As long as you don't give up, the Minutemen will survive."

"Oh, I'm not about to give up." He set his jaw, straightening up.  "But I can't protect the Commonwealth all by myself.  Hell, I could barely protect these people!  That's why I'm talking to you.  I can't rebuild the Minutemen…but I think you can."

"Me?  What makes you think I can do that?"

"You saved us in Concord.  There wasn't anything in it for you.  You have your own problems to deal with.  But you still helped anyway.  That kind of selflessness…it's been in mighty short supply around here for a long while.”

"Preston...I'm flattered.  Really, I am… but…I don't know the first thing about leading…any group of people, let alone a de facto army.”

"The idea of the Minutemen wouldn't be any different.  Still be citizen soldiers banding together to protect themselves and their neighbors.  But we just need better leaders! Leaders who would put the good of the Commonwealth ahead of their own needs.  You already proved your selflessness."  He swallowed, biting his lip for a moment.  "We don't need any more petty politics, or squabbling over resources, or arguing who has seniority.  We need someone who can bring the whole Commonwealth together in a common cause.  And I think you've got it in you to be that leader."

"But...wouldn't you be a better leader?  I'm…too new here…"  Aubrey chewed on her lip.

"That's not who I am.  I can get my men through a firefight.  I can defend a perimeter against all odds.  But that's not gonna be enough to bring the Minutemen back from the brink.  Please, ma'am…I can't do this alone."

Aubrey sighed and met Preston's gaze again.  The idea wasn't bad, and the potential that the Minutemen had to be a force for good was definite.  As she searched Preston's eyes, she found only sincerity and hope.  She smiled.  "Alright, Preston.  I'll do it."

Preston's eyes practically sparkled as a bright smile lit up his face.  "Good…Good!  Welcome aboard!  I feel like this is a whole new start for the Minutemen…and the Commonwealth too.  And don't worry," He grinned.  "I'll be right beside you the whole way….General."

Aubrey sputtered.  "That's a hell of a promotion you just gave me…"

Preston shrugged.  "The leader of the Minutemen has always held the title of General.  Our last leader was General Becker.  After he died back in '82, nobody could really agree on who should take his place."  He grinned again.  "The one good thing about being the last Minuteman is that there's no one to argue with me when I say you're the new General.  But now it's your job to make it more than an empty title."

"I'll do my best to live up to the name.  But…I do have my own problems…and…" She looked away.  "They're…pretty important."

Preston nodded.  "I have no doubt of it…you’re a Vault Dweller right? Maybe your friends can help?"

"There aren't any.  There were only two survivors: me and my son…and I don't know where he is."  Tears welled in her eyes as a flash of Nate's bleeding body filled her mind.  "I have to find him.  He was kidnapped."

"Jesus. How old was he?"

"He's just a baby…four months old…"

"Dear God.… we'll look for him, General.  Mama Murphy said something about Diamond City… in my experience, when Mama Murphy says something like that, it's a good idea to follow it."

She swallowed down a lump in her throat.  "I don't know if I can even make it…I barely made it out of Corvega alive…"

"I'll come with you. Now that Sturges has the supplies to build up some defenses, I think they'll be okay."

Aubrey looked up.  "Are you sure?"

"Absolutely. You helped us. Now let us help you."

"Alright." Aubrey nodded. "Let's head out."  
 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave a comment if you enjoy this! It fuels my muse.
> 
> I'd like to leave a big, huge, gigantic, ENORMOUS shout-out to my friend Eisenhexa on tumblr. It's cuz of him that I'm working on this story again, as he's always encouraging me to continue writing. Check out his blog and art at http://eisenhexa.tumblr.com/


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